


Webcam Girl

by AdriannaRossetti



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, but first some subterfuge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29171037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AdriannaRossetti/pseuds/AdriannaRossetti
Summary: Andy Sachs is struggling to make ends meet in New York, so she becomes a webcam girl to earn a little extra cash. After she finally gets a job at Runway though, she struggles to quit the business completely due to a mysterious woman she met online who she nicknamed 'T'. Her newfound crush on her real-life boss, Miranda Priestly, also isn't helping. A/U - Loosely follows movie plot.
Relationships: Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
Comments: 26
Kudos: 209





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, all! Another DWP fic that I'm cross-posting from Fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it — thanks for reading!
> 
> Also, two quick things: 1. I don't completely understand how this whole world works, so please correct me if any of my information is wrong - I did the best I could with my limited knowledge and Google as my resources 2. Please suspend belief and pretend Savannah cats are legal in the city of New York. :)

Andy Sachs struggled as she tried to maneuver the grocery bags in one arm with opening the door with the other. The unpleasant stench of old Indian food and alcohol hit her nostrils as she entered her small apartment, and she sighed when she spotted the leftover containers and empty beer bottles strewn about the counter. After plopping the heavy bags down on a clean part of the countertop, Andy began methodically putting the groceries away. Milk, eggs, cereal, chicken...she was interrupted in her unpacking by a warm, soft body brushing against her bare leg. Chuckling, she bent down and picked up a skinny spotted tabby cat.

"Hello, Savannah," Andy said fondly, scratching the cat behind her ears.

She had gotten the Savannah cat a couple months ago, after Nate had finally moved out of her apartment and out of her life for good. After learning the rare animal was a rescue cat, Andy's heart melted and she adopted the creature quickly, aptly naming her after its breed. Since then, it had only been the two of them.

"Seems like Dougie had a good time last night," Andy sighed, gesturing to the dirty counter. Savannah purred in response. "I know I told him he could use my apartment after his breakup, but I didn't realize he'd make such a mess out of things. Well when he wakes, he's cleaning all of this up."

Andy reached into a bag and pulled out a slab of dry meat, chuckling when Savannah's nose twitched. "Yes, this is for you girl." She gently placed the cat on the ground, and made quick work of feeding her. As the creature was eating, the brunette finished putting the groceries away and grabbed her laptop before sitting down at the kitchen table. Glancing at the clock, she surmised she still had a good hour and a half yet before Doug woke up from his snoring position on her couch. Andy booted her laptop up, impatiently drumming her fingers against the wood surface of the table. When it finally loaded, she navigated her way to the website quickly and simply stared at the home screen. She blew out a deep breath, internally conflicted about what she was about to do. Savannah leapt into her lap and licked her chops. The young woman's hand fell to the cat's head and started stroking the soft fur.

"What do you think, girl?" Andy asked as her brown eyes scanned the website's home page. She had heard about the semi-reputable site from an intoxicated woman who had sought her comfort at the bar Andy currently worked at. "Should I do it? My integrity is at stake here..." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "But I really need the extra pay. Without Nate's rent money, it's been pretty hard to make ends meet. Being a waitress by day and bartender at night isn't exactly bringing in the cash. Besides, I'm not going to get naked for anybody, so it's not really prostitution, is it?"

Savannah licked her paw. Andy chuckled.

"I'm glad I have you to listen to my rambling all the time," she teased.

Then, taking a deep breath, she clicked the button that flashed "Become a Webcam Girl!". She entered all the necessary information, but paused when it gave her an option to choose which genders she'd like to service. Shrugging, she clicked on 'all'.

"More money for me, right?" she mumbled as an excuse, cheeks reddening slightly when she thought about the possibility of entertaining another woman. Honestly, she _was_ curious. Andy hadn't ever had a chance to experiment, her only serious relationship being Nate since their sophomore year of college. He had made her happy enough, but there had always been a part of Andy that desired something more. Shaking her head, she returned to the questionnaire. The step where she had to pick a screen name flashed, and Andy stared at her cat.

"Do you mind if I use yours?" Savannah blinked, and Andy took that as a 'yes'. "Thanks."

All that was left was a picture. She smoothed her hair down and gave her best smile. After her profile was complete, the brunette sat there in shock. She couldn't believe she actually did it. Nerdy Andy Sachs was now Savannah, a confident, sexy webcam girl. A wide grin crept on her face. Before she could really get exploring on the website, she heard a groan and a pained whimper, and knew Doug was awake. Slamming her computer shut, she turned around and prepared to tend to her hung-over friend. The new world she had discovered would have to wait.

* * *

That evening, after Doug had left, Andy was buzzing from excitement and anticipation at the thought of trying out her new account. Savannah was currently hiding from her, probably hiding on the ledge at the top of the kitchen cabinets. Sitting on the edge of her seat, Andrea took a deep breath and opened her messages. So far, there had been four clients that had requested her. Unsurprisingly, all of their profile pictures were black, and only one was online. Andy took a quick look at her surroundings, and shrugged when she realized nothing would be visible except for the wall and her body. Heart pounding from nerves, she closed her eyes and gave herself a quick pep talk. _You can do this, Andrea Marie Sachs._ _You and your self-worth are not defined by this job...you will be defined by what you do after you scrape up enough money to pay the bills._ _It's easy cash, and you don't even have to leave the privacy of your own home. You don't have to show anything you don't want to. You're in control. I am no longer Andy. I am Savannah._ Eyes flashing open, Andy felt a surge of confidence, and she clicked on the 'connect' button.

Rearranging her face into a sweet smile, she could barely contain her horrified facial reaction when she was met with an image of a large penis. Gasping, she slammed the lid down. Of course there would be horny men jerking off to her, what was she supposed to expect? Andy could feel tears welling up. She wasn't mature enough to handle this. It was a stupid idea, and she couldn't believe she actually thought it would be easy. The brunette cautiously opened her laptop back up and breathed out a sigh of relief when the penis was gone. A little pixelated pig flashed green at her, while the sound of a cash register opening played. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. Andy had made $.10 from the encounter, which was amazing, since she barely even gave the guy a chance to look at her before she had disconnected. A small grin crept along her makeup-free face. She could do this. Another message popped up on her screen, alerting her to another person who requested her services, and she clicked on the 'connect' button. This time, she would school her features better. Andy let out a sigh of relief when she wasn't met with a dick.

Instead, a handsome blond man popped up on her screen topless and he smiled at her. "Hello, pretty lady."

"Hi," Andy said shyly back.

"I noticed you don't wear makeup, but I suppose that's the new thing," he gave her a charming grin. "I wonder if your body is sexier. Take your top off Savannah," he put his hands behind his head, accentuating his muscled chest. "Let me see."

Flushing, she did so, and his face fell.

"What?" she said self-consciously, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Your bra...not sexy lady," the man shook his head. "But your tits..." he trailed off before chuckling. "You're really making this difficult for me, aren't you Savannah? Take off your bra."

Andy shook her head furiously. "I d-don't do that," she stuttered.

He stared at her in disbelief. "What do you mean you 'don't do that'? Whatever. Put on some makeup, wear some better lingerie, and get a sexier attitude. Then try me again," he scoffed before the screen went black.

Andy gaped at her own reflection. Shocked, she could feel tears well up and she began to sniffle pathetically. The little piggy bank and its sound effect flashed at her again. $5.55. Somehow, that made her feel worse and she started to cry in earnest. She didn't even get all of that, since the webcam site took a percentage of her profits. Her more practical side came out again, and she began to question all her actions. Andy was a writer, and a damn good one at that. What was she doing, trying to pull a stunt like this? She had the restaurant and bar. She didn't need to resort to using her femininity in exchange for money. ... _But look at all the bills. The rent alone is enough to eat through my paychecks every month. Probably shouldn't have adopted_ _Savannah_... _No_. The young woman wiped at her eyes. _No. Savannah was-IS good for me. I just need to refinance things, that's all. That's why this is good. It's just something to tide me over_ _until I can get a real job._

Thoroughly depressed at her current situation, Andy decided to call it a night and go to bed. She did feel rather pathetic sitting at her kitchen counter crying in nothing but her 'unsexy' bra. She fell onto her bed, and smiled when she felt Savannah curl up next to her. Stroking the soft fur, she wilted into the mattress, feeling shame overtake her once more as she reflected. She was practically a virgin herself, having only done it a couple times with Nate. Losing her virginity had hurt like hell, and she hadn't initiated much sexual contact with him after. It was always him who had asked and most times, she had declined. Nate had complained about her lack of sexual excitement, which had led to one of the many arguments that would ultimately lead to their breakup. So, with 'all' of that experience, how the hell could a girl like her be sexy? Groaning, Andy pulled the covers over her head and closed her eyes tightly, willing herself to stop thinking. The problems of paying the bills at the risk of her integrity soon fell away as she slipped into a deep slumber.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Andy woke up feeling more refreshed and optimistic.

She could do this.

Screw her insecurities, her inexperience, and the guy from last night! The job was just one thing extra to pay the bills...nothing more and nothing less. Andy would waitress in the afternoon/evening, bartend every other night, and webcam when she could while also looking for 'real' jobs around the city. A small smile tugged at her lips as the brunette ate her breakfast. She was in control of how often she logged on, who she talked to (for the most part), and how she chose to present herself on camera. A plan formulated. Since the young woman's first two experiences as a webcam girl were a disaster, she would use her naiveness and innocence to her advantage. The website charged a lot of money per minute, so if she played it right, she could keep the guy on the camera for a while and rake in money without even having to remove her clothes. Andy smirked. She'd use this weekend as a chance to experiment and grow more comfortable with the webcam world.

After brushing her teeth, she curled up in a chair with her laptop, and started first by scouring the job market. She scanned through pages and pages of articles on the web looking for a writing job in New York, but as she quickly found out, the opportunities were as slim as a year ago when she first moved here. It was a small city, with thousands of other writers all looking to make it just as she was. Andy's eyes were becoming sore, and finally by lunchtime, she decided to take a break. Savannah curled up to her knee and purred.

"This is harder than I thought," she mused, scratching the cat behind her ears.

She finished the rest of her lunch in silence. When she was done, she gently put Savannah on the ground and set up her webcam. After logging in quickly, an icon on the top right flashed, alerting her that two people were requesting her. As she peered closer at the profile pictures, she noticed one was a woman! Gasping, Andy could hardly contain the heated flush that rose in her cheeks. Fingers trembling, she clicked on the picture, and was met with an attractive blonde.

"Hi, sweetie," the woman said in a soft drawl, her red lips mesmerizing Andy.

"Um," she responded intelligently.

Green eyes swept appreciatively over Andy's form. "Hun, I can't tell what you look like under that lumpy sweater. Be a dear, and take it off for me?"

Andy's fingers twitched. She awkwardly raised the hem of it, exposing her flat stomach.

"That's right," the blonde encouraged, seeming to understand Andy was flustered.

The young woman raised it a little bit further, exposing the bottom of her white bra before she blurted, "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I tried, I'm not-I mean, I don't think I'm...I'm straight."

Her hands scrambled to lower her sweater, and she quickly ended the season before placing her palms against her burning cheeks. Why did she think setting her profile to accept everyone was a good idea? She'd never even kissed another woman before in her life. A cash register noise sounded, and the green piggy bank lit up. $6.30. Andy shook her head, trying to rid it of the confusing thoughts flooding in. _You turned to mush when her intense green eyes pierced yours._ _You lifted your shirt up for her._ Andy let out a slightly hysterical giggle at the situation she found herself in. It wasn't a big deal. It's not like she could actually act on her feelings of lust and curiosity — she wouldn't ever find out a client's name, unless she asked or they offered willingly. Neither scenario the brunette could picture happening in the near future, and she resigned herself to repressing her newfound interest in her sexuality. At least until she could find a real-life woman who wasn't a client.

"Gah!" Andy lowered her head to the counter and shut her eyes tightly. She needed a drink. Or two.

* * *

Another week passed with no success in finding work, and Andy was about to pull her hair out. She had sent in her resume to almost every publishing company, newspaper place, and editing company she had found online. She had even gone in person to some of the places she applied online to, but was told that either the position had already been filled, or she would need more experience before being hired.

On the plus side, her confidence in front of the webcam had grown after the weird episode with the woman, and she now had three loyal regulars who didn't mind that she didn't get undressed for the camera. One was a man, _ST_ , who didn't show his face, which Andrea found to be a little creepy, and the other two were older gentleman, _Frank_ , who always wanted to watch her eat a banana, and _Michael_ , who just wanted conversation. It was an interesting world she had found herself in, but it paid immensely well, and she was already able to afford half of a month's rent after a week even without her other two jobs.

Andy logged back into the site and saw that _ST_ was on. A smile tugged at her lips at the thought of the money she would make from him tonight. He always stayed on the cam for a long time, oddly just wanting her to be on his screen in the room with him. Obviously he was a lonely man. Despite _ST's_ creepy tendency of hiding his face in the shadows and using the keyboard to talk, Andy didn't mind providing her time and attention. She clicked on the 'Accept' button and waited for the connection to load. However, instead of the silhouette of a man against the black background she was expecting to see, she was met with a pair of crossed feminine legs. Long fingers covered by black leather gloves clutched the edge of _ST's_ whiteboard sign that covered the rest of the woman's body. The clumsy scrawl simply read, " _Enough. Leave my husband alone._ "

Andy's first reaction was to apologize, but then her forehead creased in agitation. "It's not my fault your husband decides to...communicate with others online. I'm not the one seeking him out."

Gloved fingers drummed against the whiteboard, clearly showing the woman's stunned response at Andy's retort. The woman spun her chair around, and Andy was left staring at the back of it. Unsure whether or not to disconnect, she shrugged and figured she would earn as much money as she could. The other woman had muted her side of the camera, so the brunette was forced to stare at the back of an office chair in silence. This woman was something else. The lengths she would go to protect her identity was almost unreal. The young woman snorted — _ST_ was the same way. _They must be an influential couple_ , she surmised. After a while, the chair spun back around, and Andy squinted a bit to read the hastily scribbled handwriting that was obviously messed up on purpose.

" _You are doing nothing to discourage him. We have children."_

"Then I feel sorry they have a loser of a dad," Andy crossed her arms. "How was I supposed to know he had a family? I'm just trying to make it, just like everybody else in this city."

The chair spun around again. Andy blew a stray hair out of her face in frustration. When the next message came, Andy's face flushed when she read it.

" _What a fine way to make it too. Encouraging gender roles, are we? Thank you for setting women back 50 years. How inspiring."_

"This is not my real job," Andy growled. "Plus, not that it's any of your business, but I haven't gone so far as to strip down naked for anybody. My dignity is still in tact." _Liar._ Andy pushed that little voice out of her head and continued hotly, "And who's talking about encouraging stereotypical gender roles here? You're playing the ever-dutiful wife determined to work things out with the 'mistress' instead of confronting your husband." Before she could lose her bravado, she crossed her arms and gave a confident smirk that she didn't really feel.

The chair whipped around, and Andy could see the furious scribbling of a shadowed elbow.

" _My husband used this...cheap website because he thought I would not find out. I proved him wrong._ _You know nothing of who I am, or what I do. My children are all that matter to me, and they need a father. I am not going to confront my husband about this since he will most likely bring a temper and unwanted alcohol into my house. As for you not undressing for every man you see, that is not something to be proud of."_

Andy's anger softened when she read about the alcohol and temper. She hoped this woman wasn't in an abusive relationship.

"Hey, look, I apologize," she said sincerely. "I won't talk to him again. I hope he doesn't find another woman to webcam though."

A gloved finger tapped pensively on the edge of the sign before the chair turned again. When it turned back, Andy gave the camera a small smile after she was done reading the text.

" _I am not worried."_ There was a paragraph break between that sentence and the next one, indicating that the woman had paused in her thoughts before continuing. " _He won't be coming on this website for a while. However, if you should see an icon requesting he wants to talk to you, perhaps it will be me on the other side."_

"Alright," she said simply, resting her chin in her hand.

_"Of course, this is his credit card connected to this account so I will not be paying a dime. This will be my payback. I don't find you too...unappealing to talk to. It's...nice to find somebody worth communicating with."_

Andy flushed with pride. "Thank you. I find you a worthy adversary too," she winked.

An elegant gloved hand brushed aside the compliment before erasing what had been written and scribbling something new.

" _I must go now. Next time, wear something more form-fitting."_

The brunette could barely read the scrawled words before the screen went blank. The piggy bank dinged, and Andy whistled at the amount she had gotten. $65. Not bad. She grinned at the thought of the woman she had just met. She knew absolutely nothing about her, including what she looked like, but there was something very intelligent about her writing. And if there was anything that Andy loved more than writing herself, it was reading the words of a good writer.

She grinned and stretched her neck out. Looking at the clock, she surmised she could get in a few more sessions before going to the bar. Real work could wait another week or so.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I used a few lines of dialogue from the movie, but the rest of the work is my own. Thanks for reading!

So. It was either Auto Universe, or Runway.

Andrea stared at the email she had received back from Human Resources at Elias-Clarke. Apparently her impressive journalism background highlighted on her resume qualified her to work at a magazine dealing with either automobiles or airplanes. She sighed and twirled a piece of her hair between her fingers. She would take anything at this point. 'A week or so later' had turned into a 'couple of weeks or so later'. Andy had been working almost nonstop between her three jobs to make ends meet. But it was worth it. She always had at least two hundred at the end of the week to store away for savings. Biting her lip, Andy responded to 'Sherry from Human Resources'.

Looking over at Savannah who was laying contently on the cool hardwood floor, Andy shook her head. "I have a meeting with her tomorrow at 8 am. Please pray for me that I don't screw this up."

Savannah purred and stretched her legs out. Andy laughed. With the prospect of a new job looming over the horizon, she put her hands behind her head and grinned widely. Her jubilant thoughts turned to the woman she had met all those weeks ago on the webcam. They had communicated almost daily since then, and during each meeting, Andrea appreciated the wit the other woman possessed. She was very private and closed off about her personal life, but the two found ways to talk about other things. Of course, the other woman would turn her chair around before writing what she wanted to say on the whiteboard, which would slow their conversation, but Andy didn't mind. Their relationship had grown to a point where it was no longer awkward for Andy to wait. From _'ST'_ , she had taken to calling the woman just _'T'_ in her mind, since the woman didn't seem like she would like to be called 'Mrs'. On camera though, the young woman didn't call the other woman anything, assuming it would be easier on them both if she remained anonymous.

Andy logged in and smiled when she saw she had a request from _'T'_. It was from 15 minutes ago, but Andy hoped she was still on. She pinged back, and waited anxiously for any sign of response. A few seconds later, and she was faced with the image of the whiteboard once more.

" _Hello Savannah."_

Hiding a cringe at the fake name, Andy grinned brightly. "Hi. Guess what?" she tried to wait for the woman to write 'what' on the sign, but couldn't hold it in, "I have a job interview tomorrow," she blurted. "I will finally be able to stop this, waitressing, and bartending to get a real job."

There was a pause as T wrote.

_"I see. Make sure you wear something halfway presentable."_

Andy frowned. "What's wrong?"

" _Nothing. Must you make something drastic out of everything?"_

"I thought you'd be excited for me," Andrea shrugged, completely confused at T's short responses. "Just a month ago, you were lecturing me on the principles of being a self-respecting woman."

_"Now you're becoming one. I have to go."_

And with that, the screen became dark.

"What the hell?" Andrea said aloud. "Whatever," she mumbled, trying not to feel hurt by T's abrupt departure. She shut her laptop and went in search of Savannah. Finding the feline curled up on the couch, she picked her up and went into her bedroom closet. "Let's see if I can scrounge up something 'halfway presentable' for tomorrow."

* * *

As she chewed her onion bagel, Andy tried to calm her nerves. She had to get this job. It was her last opportunity to somewhat get into the field her degree was in. The subway ride did nothing to relax her, and she walked out of the station, feeling jittery. A few blocks, and suddenly the Elias Clarke tower loomed in front of her. Its formidable presence made Andrea subtly reach into her bag and touch her resume, hoping that she was good enough to be hired by at least one publication. Steeling her nerves, she confidently marched into the building and received her visitor's pass before running to catch the elevator. Two extremely tall women with a lot of makeup on were whispering quickly in each other's ears, sneaking glances at Andy's form. The brunette rolled her eyes and focused on what she was going to say when she met her new boss. The elevator doors opened to reveal the Human Resources Office, and Andy gratefully stepped out, leaving the gossiping women behind.

A woman with black hair clipped back into a messy do sat behind a computer, clicking away. Andy approached the desk, and when no greeting was forthcoming, she cleared her throat. The woman looked up.

"Hi, I'm Andy," she said with a smile.

"Sherry," the lady said shortly.

"Thank you for replying to my inquiry," Andy said, and reached in her bag to pull her resume out. "I'm excited about the opportunity to—"

"You like race cars?" Sherry asked, not even looking up from her computer screen.

"Um," Andy said, hand pausing. "I suppose."

"Not good enough for Auto Universe then," Sherry shook her head. "It's Runway for you."

"What's-" she cut herself off as she took in the hanging posters on the wall behind Sherry. The word Runway was embossed on a glossy magazine cover with a beautiful woman on it. "Oh. So not airplanes," she muttered under her breath.

Sherry stared at her. "Are you going to take Auto Universe or Runway? They'll both be gone by the end of today, so I'd choose now if I were you."

Andrea gave a tight smile before saying, "I'd like to apply for the job at Runway."

* * *

"Andrea Sachs?" a posh voice announced.

She looked up to see an incredibly thin woman with striking red hair. Green eyes stared at her, looking her up and down before crooking her finger in the obvious gesture signaling she was to follow her. Andy scrambled to get up.

As they walked, Emily asked, "Who put you up for this job?"

"Human Resources sent me," Andy said, adjusting her hold on her briefcase.

"They do have an odd sense of humor."

The brunette didn't know what to say to that, so she kept silent as she took in everything around her. The offices were clean, polished, and modern. Light shone in through open windows, and it seemed like a relatively happy place. Andy hid a smile at the thought of possibly working here. It didn't seem like a bad prospect at all, considering the fact she had zero expertise in fashion.

Emily halted them outside the doors of a large office. "Miranda has two assistants," she started to explain in her haughty British accent. "I'm the first, Emily, and we're interviewing for the second. Miranda is a legend. Work for her a year, and you can work anywhere in publishing. A million girls would _kill_ for this job."

"That sounds great," Andy said, trying to be enthusiastic. "I'd love to be considered."

"The thing is, Andy, we are a fashion magazine and an interest in fashion is crucial," she said critically, her disapproving glare raking down the young woman's attire again.

"What makes you think I'm not interested in fashion?" Andy wrinkled her brow. 

The redhead just gave her a look. Suddenly, her iPhone pinged and all color seemed to drain from her face as she read the text.

"Oh my god. No. No, no, no," Emily gasped.

"What's wrong?" Andy asked, concerned for the other woman's wellbeing.

Instead of answering, Emily made a mad dash off, leaving Andy by herself. She shrugged and stood quietly, watching the pandemonium going on inside the suddenly bustling office.

A bald-headed man walked by her and sniffed the air. "Do I smell an onion bagel?"

Self-consciously, Andy cupped her palm and breathed into it, blushing when she realized the scent was a lot more potent than she had originally thought. As she was focusing on breathing in and out without allowing the smell to escape her mouth, Emily returned carrying an armful of glossy magazines into the large office. She came back out, and frowned when she saw Andy.

"You're still here. Go."

Andy made to leave, but Emily snapped her fingers. "No, stay. I don't want you walking past her. Just sit there and I'll pray that she doesn't notice you."

Andy sat silently at the second assistant's desk, internally rolling her eyes at the other woman's bossiness. A few minutes later, and the sound of a soft, chilling voice rattling off what seemed to be a list of instructions came floating down the hall. Emily's shrill "Yes, Miranda" could be heard as well. A woman glided into the outer office, and Andy had to stifle a gasp. She was beautiful. Unfortunately, the young woman didn't get more than a glimpse at her before a coat and a purse were thrown on Emily's desk, and the woman disappeared.

"Who is that?" the voice floated out from the inner office.

Emily stepped in front of Andy. "Nobody," she said, and shook herself after saying it. "I mean, I was pre-interviewing assistants for you and she's the last one, but she's obviously-"

"Since the last few assistants you sent me turned out so wonderfully, I suggest you send her in."

Emily jabbed her finger in Andrea's face. "Do _not_ screw this up."

The brunette nodded and grabbed her resume and sample articles out of her briefcase before standing and making her way to the inner office. Before she could take two steps though, her briefcase was yanked out of her hand and thrown back on the ground. Emily didn't even give her a chance to protest, shoving her towards the doors.

Andy timidly entered. Miranda sat behind her desk, writing.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Andy Sachs. I recently graduated from Northwestern," she handed Miranda her resume, and ice blue eyes flicked up to pierce hers. An indescribable emotion flickered through them so fast before they were clear once more, that Andy doubted she had even seen anything. Her breath faltered though as she stared into the crystal eyes, and she shook herself mentally. What was her problem? First _'_ _T'_ , and now Miranda? _Keep your head Andy. You may be inexperienced as hell in your love life, but you are smart and confident in your professional one._

"Why are you here?" Miranda asked cooly.

"I think I could do a good job as your assistant-" Andy started firmly, trying to shake any lingering confused feelings off so she could concentrate.

"Why are you _here_?" Miranda asked again impatiently.

Andy blinked. Then she blurted, "Basically it's this or Auto Universe for me."

Miranda tapped her lips with the edge of her glasses. "You don't read Runway, do you?"

"No," Andy grimaced.

"And before today, you had never heard of me?"

"No," the pit in her stomach grew larger.

"And you have no style or sense of fashion."

A flicker of anger ignited in Andy. "I think that depends on-"

"No, no. That wasn't a question." the Editor skimmed her resume. "Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Northwestern. Impressive."

Seeing this as an opportunity to highlight some of her accomplishments, Andy started, "I also won a nationwide competition for college journalists with my series on the janitor's union-"

Andy was cut off yet again.

"That's all." Miranda flicked her fingers, leaving the brunette gaping at her rudeness.

She scoffed under her breath and turned away before spinning back around and blurting, "I know I may not know a lot about fashion, but I'm smart and I work hard. I will-"

The same bald-headed man from earlier entered, rambling on about some magazine problem, and Andy took it as her cue to leave, muttering a half-hearted thanks. As she rode the elevator back down, she wanted to cry. She had probably just screwed over her only chance at getting the job she so desperately needed. Andy was halfway across the lobby when she heard her name being called in a British accent. Emily stood with one hand on her hip and the other clutching her cellphone. Rolling her eyes, she raised her hand and crooked her pointer finger at her.

Andy's mouth fell open. She had gotten it!


	4. Chapter 4

Doug was surprised when she called and told him the news that night.

"So, Andy," he said, "fashion, eh?"

"Yeah," Andy shrugged and sat at her kitchen table. She opened a beer. "It's a new direction, but I think it'll be good."

"Good? You're working for _Miranda_ _Priestly_ ," Andy could _feel_ Doug shaking his head through the phone. "A million girls would kill for that job."

The brunette sighed. "I know, but I'm honestly not one of them." She took a swig from her drink. "I just need a steady, respectable job that will pay the bills and give me the experience I need to move on to bigger and better things."

"Amen to that," Doug chuckled.

"Ugh, I have no idea what I'm going to wear tomorrow," Andy sighed. "You should see what the women wear at this place."

"You'll be fine, sweetie—" Doug was abruptly cut off, and Andy could hear loud chattering in the background. There was the sound of shuffling, and then he was back, "Sorry about that, Andy. I was on my way to meet Lily, and I just got to the bar. Are you sure you don't want to join us?"

"No, thanks though," Andy grimaced, "I think I have to be in the office by 8 tomorrow, so I need an early night."

"Ok," Doug made a kissing noise through the phone. "Love you, and I know you're going to crush it tomorrow! Let me know how it goes."

"Will do, have fun!" Andy hung up the phone and snorted to herself. She loved Doug, but he wasn't always the greatest at giving advice. She looked over at Savannah, who was laying on the couch.

"Did you hear that, girl?" Andy cooed.

The cat rolled over and gave a purr, so the brunette took it as an affirmative sign. Andy laughed and logged into the webcam site. _'ST'_ was online, and she hurriedly clicked on the icon to connect. Self-consciously patting her hair down as she waited, she couldn't help the flush of excitement as she thought about telling _'T'_ the good news. A pair of legs appeared on her screen, and Andy beamed.

"Hi!" she gave a little wave.

_"Hello, Savannah."_

"Guess what?" Andy exclaimed, "I got the job!"

_"How wonderful. Where, may I inquire?"_

"Runway. It's a fashion magazine, and I'll be an assistant to the Editor-in-Chief. Even though I think I made a bad first impression on my future boss, she hired me anyways," Andy rambled. "Hopefully it'll be a good fit."

_'T'_ scribbled on the whiteboard, and Andy scratched Savannah behind the ears as she waited patiently. " _Fashion. Interesting choice. I'm sure you didn't make that bad of an impression on her — she hired you, did she not? Will you still keep this job then?"_

"I'm not sure," Andrea shrugged before looking down. "I've already quit the bar and restaurant, since Emily - the first assistant - told me that under no circumstances am I allowed to keep those while working there. I guess I start tomorrow already. I don't know how she did it, but she placed a few calls and I didn't have to give my 2 weeks. I feel bad leaving them so suddenly, but I suppose they had plenty of help..." she swallowed hard, aware she was rambling. "And being a webcam girl isn't exactly a professional image for the field I'm entering...what if I was recognized?" she laughed nervously at the thought. "Plus, I had promised myself that web-camming would only be until I got a new job. And seeing as though I have..." she trailed off.

_"I see. I suppose it is goodbye then."_

"Wait!" the young brunette called. She shrugged sheepishly as she said, "I suppose I should stick around for a bit, you know, just in case I screw up and get fired. I'll still be able to make a bit of money on the side. And, you know," she smiled shyly, "I'll be able to keep talking to you."

_"Good. I doubt you will be fired though, Savannah."_

Andy chuckled self-consciously. "Well thank you, but I'm actually a bit nervous. My new boss seems she demands a lot, and I'm afraid I might accidentally screw something up and ruin everything."

_"I'm sure you will do just fine. As with anything new, it just takes time. You will learn more and more each day until you become completely settled into the new demands of this job. Don't worry."_

"Thanks," she smiled.

_"You're welcome."_

They sat in silence for a minute. Suddenly, Andy blurted out, "Are we cool?"

_"What do you mean?"_

"Last time, you seemed a bit tense. I wanted to make sure I didn't upset you," Andy said tentatively.

_"No. You did not upset me."_

Andy waited for something else, but when she didn't elaborate, Andy decided to drop the matter. "Brilliant then," she said, giving the woman a bright smile. Elegant legs shifted, and the young woman suddenly wished more than anything that she could see the woman's face. Her smile dimmed slightly.

Before the other woman could comment, she blurted out, "Thank you for the advice. I should go and get some sleep before my first day tomorrow."

_"Good night, Savannah."_

"Good night," Andy softly responded.

With that, she logged off and blew out a puff of air. She turned to Savannah and gently scratched the cat behind her pointed ears. "What have I gotten myself into? Feeling attraction for a woman whose face I've never even seen." Shaking her head, she mentally berated herself. "Good job Andy. Real smart." Savannah purred, and the young woman smiled. "I know, I need to go to bed. I have quite a full day tomorrow."

Standing, she padded to her bathroom and started her nighttime absolutions. When she was done, she climbed in her bed and Savannah curled up on the pillow next to her. Andy gave the soft fur a few strokes before rolling over and closing her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly despite the gnawing nerves in her stomach.

After what seemed like moments later, she was rudely awakened by her phone going off. Squinting, she blindly reached for it and mumbled a rough "Hello" before being assaulted by a list of demands from Emily. Before she could even fully process the Starbucks order shot at her, the red-head had hung up. Andy groaned and flung her arm over her head. So much for waking up at a leisurely 7 a.m. Her day had officially started.

* * *

By the time she returned home that night, Andy was ready to fall into bed and forget the day she just had. Not only was she overwhelmed by the amount of information that was thrown her way, she also was still reeling from the scathing lecture Miranda had given her on the history of cerulean blue. The cutting words still echoed in her ears, _"That_ _blue represents millions of dollars_ _and countless jobs,_ _and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice_ _that exempts you from the fashion industry_ _when, in fact_ _you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room_ _from a pile of '_ _stuff'."_

Andy cringed just thinking about it and fell onto the couch with a groan. She wanted to slink away and hide in a hole. Savannah curled herself around her mistress's legs, sensing the woman's mood.

"Oh Savannah," Andy rubbed her eyes. "You should have seen the look she gave me! I thought the flesh was gonna melt off her face."

The cat purred reassuringly, and the brunette chuckled.

"I'm glad I have you," she sinked further into the couch, pulling her feet up and cuddling closer with her pet. "This whole day has been crazy. Emily told me Miranda had fired a person for leaving the desk due to an _accident_ with a letter opener. Can you imagine?!" She paused and then sighed. "God I hope I don't screw anything up."

Savannah blinked at her, and Andy shook her head. "Thanks for being a great listener Savannah, but I need somebody who can talk back."

Grabbing her laptop off the table, she quickly logged in and grinned when she saw _'ST'_ online. Quickly, she clicked on the icon, pinging the woman on the other end, and drummed her fingers impatiently on the wood while she waited.

"Hi, I have so much to tell you," Andy smiled when she was met with the same stocking-clad legs. Oddly, she mused, legs that had never changed. She mentally shrugged - just an extra privacy precaution _'T'_ took. Even the dress color the woman wore was the same, and her trusty leather gloves stayed firmly on her hands for every session. For some reason, the idea of being so worried about being recognized made the brunette sad. Sure, it _was_ a webcam site, so it wasn't exactly a place one would want to be recognized on, but the lengths _'T'_ went to ensure her privacy were extreme. Before Andy could speculate on it further, the chair spun around and the scrawled handwriting the young woman had quickly learned to decipher appeared.

_"How was your first day of work?"_

"For being the job 'a million girls would kill for', it was rather difficult," Andy picked at her cerulean sweater. "From not knowing how to spell 'Gabbana', to running a thousand errands, I'm beat," she rubbed her eyes. "There's just so much I need to know for the job."

_"One day at a time."_

"Yeah," she huffed, blowing her hair out of her face, "I guess I'm just overwhelmed."

_"You mentioned you were an aspiring journalist during one of our earlier meetings, did you not?"_

"I did," Andy said, a bit surprised that the other woman would remember that.

_  
"Sounds like this environment is well-suited then. Many journalists lead busy lives, and you need to learn how to manage everything in an effective manner. Besides, I'm sure a woman with your high intelligence can handle it."_

The brunette blushed."Well, thanks. Anyways, how was your day?"

_"Fine, busy as usual. Lots of important meetings."_

"How are your children?" she inquired.

_"Well. They seem to be enjoying the school year so far, and liking their classes. That reminds me, I need your advice. One of my children thinks they have found their true love. What am I to say to that?"  
_

Andy noted the intentional plural pronoun and felt a surge of disappointment when she realized the other woman didn't trust her enough to reveal the gender of her children. She understood that it was ridiculous to wish that of the woman who wore black gloves to hide the backs of her hands, but it still stung. Shaking her head slightly, she pushed all morose thoughts out of her head and responded.

"You'll have to give me a bit more context than that, I'm afraid."

_"My child thinks the world of this classmate of theirs. Said classmate is, and I quote, "utterly dreamy", and apparently asked my child to go to the mall last week. Since then, all my child can talk about is how wonderful this classmate is, and how this might be the 'one'. My child is too young to even entertain notions of love."_

"Well it's a bit hard for me to give the best advice, seeing as I don't know exactly how old or what gender your child is, but I would say wait it out," Andy shrugged. "I remember being in 'love' with two boys I liked when I was young. Of course, none of them turned out to be 'the one', but it was so exciting to have those feelings. Half of it, for me at least, was the feeling of even gaining the attention of another boy." _And now you're not so sure you're even into boys!_ a voice sing-songed in her ear. Andy pushed the annoying voice away and focused her attention back on the webcam and the gorgeous crossed legs. "My mom would entertain me by listening to my lovesick ramblings, but she always told me to keep an open mind and an open heart. Somebody out there really is the 'one', and I did myself no favors by limiting myself to the few boys I met in elementary/middle school. Turns out she was right. None of those crushes lasted more than a month or two. I would give your child the same advice: Enjoy the feeling, but don't let it completely close you off from the possibility of another," Andy shyly looked in the camera and said, "I haven't yet met my 'one', and I'm perfectly alright with that. Call me a helpless romantic, but I like going through life with an open heart." She fell silent after her monologue, feeling a tad self-conscious.

_I will be sure to remember your philosophy when next confronted, Savannah. And for the record, despite going though a rough patch with my husband right now, I too hope to keep an open heart._

Andy smiled. "Is there anything else you would like to talk about?"

_"Well..."_

After spending another half-hour on the webcam with _'T'_ , Andy finally logged off and rubbed her tired eyes. Tomorrow brought a new day and new challenges, and she needed to be as clearheaded as she possibly could. The last thought drifting through her mind before she succumbed to sleep was, "God, I wish I could meet _'T'_ in person."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Borrowed a few more lines of dialogue for this chapter, but the rest is mine :)

Much as _'T'_ suspected, as the days went on, the work slowly became easier. The demands were no less ridiculous or infrequent, but Andy began to gain more confidence as she adjusted to the job. No longer did she feel like she was asking Emily for clarification after Miranda's every demand, nor did she cause any more callers to hang up on her.

And despite enjoying the extra cash flow it brought her, she finally ended her official webcam business (with the help of _'T'_ 's advice) once she had gotten over her fear of being fired from Runway. The two regulars she started out with, _Frank_ and _Michael_ , were devastated when Andy told them that "Savannah" was finished with the business. She was thankful that she found them, though. Towards the beginning, she had been more open about servicing more people, but realized quickly that the majority of the men she talked to didn't fall for her 'innocent' act. Most angered fast when she didn't take her clothes off, and hung up shortly after connecting with her. Andrea only talked to _'T'_ now, since she couldn't bring herself to end the connection they had. So while she wasn't living a life of luxury, Andy was making ends meet with her job at Runway and the extra cash she was getting from _'T'_ 's husband. Her professional image for her new budding career was able to be maintained as well, and really, that was all she could have asked for. Her father was coming into town that night, and she looked forward to showing him she was financially fine, and sparing his 'it's time to move home' lecture.

Smiling at the thought, she was startled when Miranda's voice cut through her consciousness, "Get me Demarchelier."

Andy swiftly dialed and said, "I have Miranda Priestly calling...Okay." Covering the receiver, she called out, "I have Patrick."

Settling back in her seat, she tried to make small talk with Emily, only to be shot down by the snotty redhead. She softly snorted at the other woman's attitude and focused on making it through the rest of the day. Miranda was going to Miami, so she would have the evening completely free to show her father around New York City. Andy glanced at the clock and internally groaned. Just a few more hours.

* * *

"Honey, we get e-mails from you at your office at 2:00 a.m," Richard Sachs steepled his fingers together and looked at his only daughter. "I'm just trying to understand why someone who got accepted to Stanford Law turns it down to be a journalist, and now you're not even doing that."

They were having dinner in a nice bistro, and the conversation had just taken a turn for the worst. Andy had hoped to avoid the interrogation, but unfortunately, her dad hadn't even waited until the bread came to the table before he started in. His concerns had been voiced for the past ten minutes, and Andy had finally had enough.

"Dad, you have to trust me. Being Miranda's assistant opens a lot of doors," Andy rubbed her temples. "I can finally write again — I just need to work a year for her."

"But—" Richard tried again.

"No, Dad," Andy cut in firmly. "I know I'm not doing what I love right now, but everyone has to start somewhere. Give me a chance to prove that working for Miranda will end up being a good thing."

"Ok," he looked dubious but thankfully dropped the subject.

"Thank you—"

A shrill ring of her cellphone interrupted her sentence and she flipped it open quickly, mouthing an apology to her father. "Hello, Miranda?"

"My flight has been canceled. It's some absurd weather problem. I need to get home tonight. The twins have a recital tomorrow morning at school," Miranda bit out impatiently.

"Absolutely. Let me see what I can do," she hung up and frantically started calling airlines, shooting apologetic looks to her father.

Finally, Richard shook his head and guided them out of the restaurant when Andy became more and more hysterical in her quest to find some way to fly the fashion maverick back that night.

"Nothing is flying out? What do you mean, nothing is flying out?" Andy barely registered being guided into a taxi, her panic clouding her actions.

She calling everybody she knew, including Donatella, who had a private jet, but turned up empty-handed. With a heavy heart, she bid her annoyed father goodbye and let herself into her apartment. Andrea barely made it past the threshold before she dissolved into heavy sobs.

"She's going to kill me, Savannah," she whimpered to the concerned cat.

The cat gave no response, but curled her body around the brunette's shaking frame. Andy petted the cat's soft fur and sniffled pathetically.

The webcam stayed off that night.

* * *

"The girls' recital was absolutely wonderful. They played Rachmaninoff. Everyone loved it." Miranda adjusted her necklace and gave Andy a pointed glare. "Everyone except me because, sadly, I was not there."

"Miranda, I'm so sorry," Andy wrung her hands together, feeling absolutely horrible.

Miranda effectively cut her off, "Do you know why I hired you?" Without waiting for the young woman to respond, she continued, "I always hire the same girl: stylish, slender—of course, worships the magazine. But so often, they turn out to be...I don't know, disappointing and, um, stupid. So you, with that impressive resume and the big speech about your so-called work ethic, I, um, I thought you would be different. I said to myself, go ahead. Take a chance. Hire the smart, fat girl." She waved her hand nonchalantly in the air and cleared her throat. "I had hope. My God. I live on it. Anyway, you ended up disappointing me more than any of the other silly girls."

Andy's heart plummeted and her self-esteem dropped as she stood in front of the woman who had just successfully cut her down with a few choice words. This was a thousand times worse than the cerulean lecture.

Fighting back tears, she tried to keep her voice from shaking, "Um, I really did everything I could think of. I—"

"That's all."

She nodded half-heartedly and spun around, trying to escape the suddenly claustrophobic office. Ignoring Emily's hissed, "Where do you think you're going?", she strode purposefully down the hall, fighting the urge to completely break down. Miranda's words cut deeply. Not only was Miranda utterly disappointed in her, but she thought she was fat too. Andy had never been a girl who really cared about her weight — hell, even being surrounded by stick thin women every day wasn't enough to change her self-image. But for some reason, when Miranda pointed it out, she was suddenly extremely self-conscious about the size of her stomach and thighs. _Why should I even care what that woman thinks of me anyways?_ She took a deep shuddering breath, trying to will the tears away.

Nigel's office came into view, and almost unconsciously, she headed into it. After a wake-up call from the Art Director, Andy finally caved and allowed him to make her over. She realized this could be a way for her to apologize to the Editor — to show that she understood she hadn't been as understanding or respectful of Miranda's world as she could've been. And as much as she hated to admit it, she felt like a princess as some of the world's top makeup artists and hair stylists fussed over her. Andy couldn't contain her gasp when she faced herself in the mirror when it was all done. Her hair was cut with sleek layers and blunt bangs, and her chocolate eyes were rimmed with charcoal, giving them a sultry look. Dare she admit it to herself...she looked _hot._

She strode back into the office in her thigh-high Chanel boots, interrupting Emily and Serena's gossip session with a confident smile on her lips. Andy picked up her cellphone and answered the call in a smooth voice, feeling smug at their slack-jawed expressions. When she was finished, she bid the stunned women a good night and headed out, feeling lighter than air. She was going to meet Doug and Lily for dinner downtown, and since she was in such a good mood, she decided to splurge a little and hail a cab. The man who pulled up gave her a double-take, and stuttered over his words when he asked where she wanted to be driven. _Take that Miranda! Fat girl indeed,_ she huffed to herself. Although Andy knew it was stupid, she couldn't shake the insecurity she still felt from Miranda's stinging comment.

Rolling her eyes at herself, she paid the taxi driver and entered the restaurant. Both were astonished over her makeover.

"Damn girl, if I wasn't gay..." Doug fanned himself, and Andy chuckled.

"Yeah, you look good," Lily approved, giving her a once-over.

Andrea ordered herself a glass of wine, and finally enjoyed herself for the first time in a long while. When she got back to her apartment, she was pleased to see that her neighbor girl had come by and fed Savannah in her absence. With the longer hours she now worked, Andy knew she had to hire extra help to keep Savannah company and well-fed. She picked the cat up and cuddled the purring feline to her face.

"Hey, girl," she cooed, and gently bopped her forehead against her pet's head. "I finally let Nigel do it. I'm now a clacker," she shook her head softly. "Gosh, what have I come to?"

She settled in her usual chair in the kitchen to webcam _'T'_ with Savannah curled up on her lap. She pinged, but there was no response. Andy tried again, and blew up at her newly cut bangs in disappointment when there was silence again on the other end.

Deciding to type _'T'_ a quick message, since she really wanted to tell her about her whirlwind day, she wrote: _Hey, sorry I missed you tonight. I had the biggest lecture of my life today. It was rough, but I think necessary. Anyways, I decided to let one of the men who works at Runway make me over. I want to show my boss that I'm invested in this job, and that I care about what she does for a living. Because I really do — I know she works incredibly hard, and I respect her for that. I can't wait to show you the transformation. ~Savannah_

Resolving to call it a night, the brunette logged off. A wave of fatigue hit her suddenly, and it took the rest of her energy to go through her nightly routine, and collapse into bed. Andy pulled the covers up, and with one last stroke of Savannah, she fell asleep.

* * *

The lingering look Miranda gave her the next morning over her new appearance was worth it. Worth the dressing down, worth the extra 30 minutes her new makeup routine took her in the mornings, worth taking a little extra time to invest in her outfits...worth it all. Andy grinned to herself as she strode out of the Editor's office assuredly, a little extra sway in her hips. She couldn't help it — not only did she want to show the other woman that she had the capacity to look confident and attractive, but there was also something...more to Miranda's gaze than approval. Andy shook herself mentally and vowed not to let the sudden interest in her female boss ruin her life. Especially since said boss thought she was fat. Instead she took her own advice she gave _'T'_ weeks ago — to live with an open heart. She felt self-assured, sexy, and sophisticated.

The phone suddenly rang. Andy smiled wider, ignoring Emily's suspicious glares from her desk, and picked up the receiver smoothly.

Leaning one hand on the desk, she spoke. "Miranda Priestly's office," she cradled the phone in her palm and crossed her legs standing. "Yes, she's in a meeting right now, but I will put you on hold."

Glancing back up to Emily's somewhat stunned expression, she smirked and fist-pumped in her head. Andy Sachs for the win!


	6. Chapter 6

The days continued to go by, and Andy continued to excel at her job. She continually found new ways to predict Miranda's needs before the woman thought of the tasks herself, and finally earned hearing the exquisite way her name fell from the Editor's lips. The clackers in the office were warming up to her, slowly but surely, and even Emily had begrudgingly been a tad nicer to her. Although to be fair, Emily's 'nice' would be any other person's 'chilly'.

Andy and _'T'_ had also continued chatting regularly, and the brunette would flush happily whenever she thought of _'T'_ 's reaction to her new look.

_"You look very fetching."_

_Andy had blushed deeply when she had read those scribbled words on the whiteboard._

_"I apologize for not being available last night. I read your message though, and it was touching. As for showing your boss that you respect her and her profession, I'm confident she received the message."_

While Andrea had resolved to live her life with a more open heart, she still kept a professional distance from the icy editor. Despite the 'fat' comment, the older woman continued to fascinate her. Miranda was someone to get to know slowly though, and Andy was determined to build a solid professional relationship first. Still, it didn't stop her from giving the woman admiring glances, or striving to make her days easier.

Andrea even found more time to hang out with Lily and Doug, both of whom were quite ecstatic (Doug, more so than at the beginning) about her new job once they realized they were the new owners of a Marc Jacobs purse and a Bang + Olufsen phone.

* * *

Yet Andy should have known the bubble she found herself in wouldn't last. The disastrous day had even started out great, with Miranda allowing her to ride in the elevator with her. Yet whatever amount of trust the Editor had placed in her died as soon as she met ice-blue eyes at the top of the stairs. _Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ she berated herself internally. When Emily had told her the directions for delivering the Book, Andrea hadn't anticipated the confusion she'd face. There were two identical doors she could've hung the dry cleaning in, and three separate tables with flowers on them (all in different areas of the townhouse) to set the Book on. Since Cassidy and Caroline had helpfully pointed out the correct place to hang the dry cleaning, Andy was led into a sense of false security. So when they told her to come upstairs to deliver it, the brunette did so, partly out of the newfound trust she had placed in them, and partly out of desperation to keep them quiet.

Now she was facing a stony-faced Miranda, and her irate husband. Obviously she had interrupted an intense argument between the two, and the brunette wanted to sink into the floor and disappear. Trying to make herself appear small, she awkwardly placed the Book on the top of the staircase and turned to run back down the stairs.

"Wait," a gruff male voice halted her fleeing.

Timidly, Andrea half-turned and met Stephen's eyes.

"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the man crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, his gaze examining her closely.

"Umm, no, no," Andy squeaked out, trying to ignore the heat she felt from Miranda out of her peripheral. "I don't think so."

"Hmm," Stephen rubbed his chin.

Andrea shot one last apologetic glance towards Miranda, and felt her heart stutter when she saw a flash of sadness in them before it was quickly covered by a mask of disgust and judgement. The brunette bowed her head, and ran out of the townhouse as fast as she could.

Back at her apartment, Andy stared at the ceiling and cuddled Savannah close.

"I don't know, girl," she murmured, scratching the cat's pointy ears. "She looked so lost for a second. I feel awful."

Savannah kneaded the brunette's stomach and purred loudly.

"Her husband was also weird. Stephen thought I looked familiar, but I can't imagine where he'd know me from," Andy rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I hope she's ok. I hope _I'm_ ok tomorrow. Oh god," her anxiety sky-rocketed and she forced herself to keep petting Savannah calmly. She could do nothing but wait until the morning.

* * *

Emily, of course, pounced on her the second she got to the office.

"Okay, okay, it wasn't a big deal," Andy pleaded, shifting the coffee order in her arms in an effort to keep it balanced. "The twins said hello, I said hello back, then I went upstairs to give the book to Miranda —"

"You went upstairs?" Emily pinched her nose and closed her eyes. "Oh my God. Why didn't you just climb into bed with her and ask for a bedtime story?"

Andy winced. "It's not so bad —"

"If you get fired, that might jeopardize Paris for me. And if that happens, I will search every Blimpie's in the tri-state area until I find you and kill you," Emily seethed. She snatched the coffee from panicking brunette.

"She's going to fire me?" Andy wailed.

"I don't know," Emily shrugged and glared. "She's _not_ happy."

Right on cue, the whispery voice floated out to the outer office. "Andrea."

Andy gulped, squared her shoulders and walked in with more bravado than she felt.

"Miranda, I'm so sorry—"

"The girls want the new Harry Potter book," Miranda interrupted without looking up.

"Oh, okay," Andy sagged in relief. "I'll run down to Barnes and Noble right now."

"Did you fall and smack your little head on the pavement?" Miranda looked up at last, and pierced her with icy blue eyes. "We have all the published Harry Potter books. The girls want to know what happens _next_."

The brunette's eyes widened as she finally understood. "You want the unpublished manuscript."

"We know everyone in publishing. Shouldn't be a problem," Miranda tilted her head and rested her index finger on her bottom lip. "And you can do anything, right?"

She realized this was payback for seeing her boss at her most vulnerable. Andrea held the white-haired woman's gaze with softness, and nodded. Again, a flash of something...regret?...flashed across Miranda's face before the mask was once more in place.

"That's all."

* * *

In the end, Andrea completed the impossible and met Miranda's outrageous demand. She dropped the unpublished manuscript on the Editor's desk, and felt a sense of pride when she explained that she had already bound and copied editions for her twins. Andy grinned at the twitch of Miranda's lips. She knew the Editor was pleased by her success, even though she was trying hard to hide it. In some sense, it was the assistant's apology as well, for intruding on a moment that she shouldn't have. Andy turned and was about to leave Miranda's office, when a quiet call of her name caused her to turn back.

Piercing blue eyes held hers, and Andy had to stifle a gasp at the tenderness she found there. The brunette held the gaze steadily, and smiled at the older woman. She knew Miranda was saying that she forgave her.

"That's all," the Editor said softly.

But this time, instead of feeling dread at those words, Andrea felt warmth.


	7. Chapter 7

Andy's crush continued to grow on her boss, especially during the night of the benefit. She had to stifle a gasp when she saw the beautiful woman descend the staircase in an inky, backless dress that made her look ethereal. And the mouthed "thank you" Andy received after she saved Miranda from embarrassment by dragging Irv into a conversation about John Cheever made her lose her heart to the older woman completely.

Late that night, hyped up on affection for Miranda, she logged onto the webcam site and pinged _'T'_. A few minutes later, she let out a surprised gasp when the connection was made. Andy waved enthusiastically when she saw the familiar crossed stocking-clad legs and whiteboard poised and ready.

"Hey, stranger," Andy smiled. "I'm so glad you're on tonight. It's been a while."

_"Yes, Savannah, it has. Work has been extremely busy — even more so than usual. How have you been?"_

"I've been good," Andrea couldn't help the blinding smile that lit up her face. "Can I tell you something?"

_"Of course."_

"I have a crush on my boss," she blurted out and then covered her blushing cheeks. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it — I don't have anyone else to tell."

There was a beat. Then the chair spun around and Andrea could tell the woman was scribbling fast.

_"Are you sure?"_

"What do you mean?" Andrea's forehead creased slightly. "Of course I am. I know she's married, and she'll never look at me in anything less than a professional manner, but I know when I lo-like someone."

" _What do you like about her?_ "

"Well," Andy cupped her chin in her hand and a small smile graced her face as she thought about the formidable woman. "She's incredibly intelligent. She's the kind of person who you _know_ knows a lot about a lot of different subjects. And her passion for her art and her work shines through in each edition of Runway, where she strives for the absolute best. She's also a wonderful mother. You can tell she loves her children very much. Remember the Miami hurricane I told you about? I think that's when I realized..." Andy blushed slightly, and then continued, "I mean, um, she's also very beautiful."

_"Beautiful?"_

"Mmm, yes," Andrea sighed. "She has the most incredible eyes. And the elegant way she carries herself, even though the world has thrown her utter shit at times, is..." The brunette shook herself and squared her shoulders. "I'm the woman I am today because of her — she's pushed me to become more confident in myself, and my abilities," her face then fell. "But again, she'll never see me that way. She's married to a wealthy man. I'm not nearly as connected, rich, or successful in my professional career. Plus, I'm fat," she whispered while looking down, the hurt from the old offhand comment resurfacing. "Ok, not truly. I've been working out and eating healthier, but I know I don't look like most of the women she sees on a daily basis...it's stupid to let this bother me so much."

_"No, not stupid. Stupid of your boss. From what I can tell, Savannah, you are a beautiful woman. In my opinion, the very fact you're_ _not like other women is a refreshing change._ _Ignore what she said._ _"_

Andrea shrugged with a half-hearted smile. "I'm trying." She shook herself. "I don't expect an apology, and I know she doesn't view me as fat now. Anyways," she cleared her throat, "thanks for letting me confess this. I've never felt this strongly for another woman before, so I'm a little hesitant to even voice it aloud." She lowered her eyes and then shyly peeked up and gave _'T'_ a smile. "Thanks for being there for me and being a safe person to come out to."

There was a pause. The chair spun around again, and this time, Andy was left staring at an almost black screen for a longer time. When the chair rotated again, the young woman quickly scanned the response, her mouth dropping open in disbelief as she read.

_"Savannah, we need to stop our communication. This started out as revenge against my husband, and I've enjoyed our conversations, but it's no longer right to keep this going. You are a very bright, fetching, beautiful woman. I know one day your boss will see that."_

"Wait, what –"

A gloved hand rose, waved weakly, and the screen went black, leaving Andy with the cruel sound of the piggy bank and her own dumbfounded expression reflected on the screen.

"What the fuck?" she whispered to no one in particular. Andrea pinged _'T'_ back three times, each attempt getting more frantic than the last. After no response, the young woman sat back in her chair and much to her chagrin, felt tears forming in her eyes.

Wiping them away furiously, she typed out a message to the woman who had become one of her closest confidants. Well, so she thought.

_Dear..._

_I've realized I've never asked you your name, or how you would like me to address you as. Is it weird that I still thought of you as a friend? Even though I never saw your face, or know much about you in general? I guess that's not true though — I knew some things. Like that you have a husband and children, you dislike freesias, and you're more of a night owl._

_Anyways, I'm sorry if I said anything that offended you. I shouldn't have confessed something so personal, and then expected you to give me advice. I wish I had the chance to apologize in person, well over camera, so we could continue our conversations. I've enjoyed them greatly, and you have been wonderful to talk with all these months. I promise not to venture into any of those topics again._

_I'll be on every night during our usual time. Please, don't stay away._

_~Savannah_

And if the encounter with _'T'_ wasn't enough, the next day got worse when Miranda ordered her to tell Emily she wasn't going to Paris.

"If you don't go, I'll assume you're not serious about your future with me —" Miranda had stumbled briefly before continuing swiftly, "at _Runway_ or any other publication." Miranda began flipping through the Book Andy had just handed her. Her posture was stiffer than usual and her cheeks tinged pink at her slip, but the brunette didn't notice, her mind already swirling with the implications of the action.

In her fragile state, Andrea almost broke down again. Her heart sank with each step she took away from the townhouse and she barely got any sleep that night. Because she knew that no matter what, she'd always choose Miranda.


	8. Chapter 8

Andrea looked up at the sparkling lights in wonder as the black limo sped down the Parisian street. A small frown marred her face, and she lowered her gaze to her lap. She felt awful for crushing the redhead's dreams, and inadvertently being responsible for her accident with the taxi, but she vowed to make it up to her. The brunette had come to think of Emily as a friend, even if the first assistant wanted nothing to do with her now. She sighed. The fact that _'T'_ hadn't responded either since that night also made her heart heavy.

"Andrea," the soft voice came from her right, and she turned her head to meet Miranda's gaze.

The older woman looked concerned, which couldn't be right, as she never looked that way. And especially not at an assistant, much less Andy herself.

With a blink, the expression was gone and she said, "Come by my room after we get to the hotel. I have something I need to discuss with you."

"Of course," the brunette nodded.

Miranda doesn't say anything else, but she turned back to the pile of papers on her lap and seemed pleased.

* * *

After Andrea had settled into her spacious hotel room, she took the elevator up a couple floors to get to Miranda's suite. Holding her breath, she knocked loudly and waited for entrance to be granted.

"Come in."

Andy opened the door, and almost swooned at how luxurious the suite was. Miranda swept out of the bedroom, fixing her right earring. She had changed into a beautiful red and gold Prada dress for her dinner with Gaultier, and Andy was captivated. She held a necklace in her hand, and gestured to the brunette.

"Will you?" she turned, offering her bare neck to Andrea.

"Uh, sure," Andy stuttered.

Calming her slightly trembling hands, she took the pearl necklace from the Editor, and gently clasped it around her neck. Pausing for a second, she rested her fingertips on the back of the jewelry, just barely grazing the soft skin, before forcing herself to pull back and straightening back up.

Miranda turned, and gave a nod of thanks. "Andrea," she said, walking over to sit in a chair. The brunette immediately followed her lead and much less-gracefully sank onto the couch across from her boss. Miranda opened her mouth, and then shut it again.

"Yes, Miranda?" Andy said gently, trying to prompt the woman.

The white-haired Editor shook her head imperceptibly before speaking quickly, "Make reservations for breakfast tomorrow morning. I trust you know what I like."

Andrea nodded.

"For two," she looked away, and Andrea took it as her cue to leave.

"And Andrea?"

The brunette turned, and the Editor had stood.

"You will be joining me."

Andy gasped, and then nodded vigorously. "Have a good night, Miranda," she smiled. "I look forward to tomorrow."

"Good evening, Andrea," Miranda said, her eyes turning softer.

Andy barely got out of the door with her breathing in tact. A wide smile broke out on her face, and she could barely contain the joy bubbling up in her. Yes, it was probably just a working breakfast, but still. Miranda had made it a point to invite her _out_ , rather than having it in the hotel. Also, the Editor was so busy this time of year, it was a miracle that she had time to even have a meal with Andy. Resolving to not dwell on it for too much longer or she'd work herself up too much, Andrea took advantage of her only free evening/night, and treated herself to seeing as much of Paris as she could. She felt like every other tourist, but oh well. It might be only time she'd ever be in this beautiful city.

The next morning, Andy walked down to the lobby and was surprised to see Miranda there, waiting for her.

"There you are, I was beginning to think I was going to breakfast alone," Miranda swept out of the lobby, leaving the brunette scrambling to catch up.

As she hurried behind Miranda, Andy checked her watch, and confirmed that she was, in fact, 45 minutes early. She figured she was going to just walk to the restaurant alone, and was surprised when she saw not only Miranda waiting for her, but also a car idling by the curb. Miranda slid in first, then gestured with her head impatiently for Andy to join. The brunette grinned at the action and followed.

They reached the restaurant, a private little café off the beaten path. Andrea had talked with the concierge the night before, as well as researched a bit on her own to find this place. They were seated together at a private table in the back, and the brunette gulped when she realized how intimate the setting was. It was truly a stereotypical Parisian café, complete with white chairs and ivy curling up and around the inside walls. Soft jazz music played on the speakers, and Andrea sighed with relief when she noticed Miranda's tiny nod.

They ordered, well, Andy let Miranda order for both of them. After firing off their order in rapid, fluent French, Miranda then turned her gaze onto Andy herself. The young woman felt her heart flutter when she realized she was the sole recipient of the Editor's rapt attention.

"Andrea, have you given any thought as to what you might do when you leave my employ?" Miranda asked, curling her palms around her coffee cup.

"Uh, well, not really," Andy mentally scolded herself and tried to pull her thoughts together. "I mean, I came to New York to be a writer. I would love to be a journalist...I really like working for you though," she blurted out.

Miranda let out a small snort. "Andrea, do not lie to me. Being my assistant is not the easiest of jobs."

"No," Andrea agreed, ignoring the raised eyebrow. "But it is a job that gave me the ability to balance a busy workday. I'm able to manage many different things much more effectively now," her eyes softened when she realized she had repeated the advice ' _T'_ had told her all those weeks ago.

Miranda looked at her with an unreadable expression before she nodded. "I expect you to have three options for future employment after Paris."

Heart heavy at the thought of not seeing the older woman every day, the young woman looked down to hide her sadness. "Yes, Miranda," she said quietly, cupping her hands around her tea cup.

"However, I do not expect that to be the end of our communication," the Editor's murmured words caused Andrea's head to shoot back up. "I would be very disappointed if that happened."

"Me too," Andrea gasped out. To help hide her pleased flush, she rose her tea cup to her lips, and gave the other woman a shy smile over the rim.

The waitress came back with their order, interrupting any further conversation, and the assistant gaped when she saw how much food Miranda had ordered. There were eggs, bacon, ham, croissants, sliced fruit, and even small powdered donuts!

"Miranda?" she asked, wide-eyed at all the dishes in front of her.

"Mmm?" the older woman acknowledged, already fixing herself a large plate.

"Is this, I mean, did you mean to order this much?" she snapped her mouth shut at the question.

"Yes, Andrea," blue eyes pierced hers, "I did. And I intend to fully enjoy it all. I hope you will find something...amendable here as well."

Andy smiled and began loading her own plate up. She paused though, when she reached for a donut. Her face clouded over. Unconsciously, she squeezed her stomach tighter and crossed her legs to hide her thighs better.

"Andrea," Miranda's voice cut through her consciousness, "please, enjoy. I did not get these donuts just for me." Long, slender fingers picked one up, and she delicately popped the whole thing in her mouth.

Andrea shook herself mentally, and smiled at seeing the Editor do such an un-Miranda-like gesture. She copied her boss, and moaned softly at the warmth and sugar that exploded on her taste buds.

"This is amazing," Andy gushed, and reached for another one.

Miranda looked at her tenderly, and also grabbed another.

"So," Andy delicately licked the remaining sugar off her fingers, "how was Gaultier's dinner last night?"

Their conversation flowed easily after that, and Andrea felt honored she was able to see a new side of Miranda. One that was infinitely more relaxed and open to sharing more of her personal life with Andy. Once breakfast was finished, and the dishes were mostly gone, Miranda smoothly paid the bill and stood.

"Thank you, Miranda," Andrea smiled at her.

"No, thank _you_ , Andrea," the Editor tilted her head and looked at the younger woman. "You provided me with pleasant company, and a...nice break before Paris Fashion Week really starts."

Andrea beamed at her, and followed Miranda out to the car that was waiting for them by the curb.

"I really enjoyed it too, Miranda," she took a chance and gently rested her hand on Miranda's bare forearm.

Blue eyes looked at the contact Andy had made, and then looked up to earnest chocolate eyes before a rare smile graced her face. It was small, but to Andy, it was perfect.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The big reveal!

The following days were full of meetings, runway shows, and important dinners that Miranda had to attend. She insisted Andrea join her for most of them, and the brunette was all too happy to go. Miranda had taken to introducing the young woman to the people she talked with, always dropping a hand to the small of Andrea's back as she introduced her. The first time she did that, the brunette was so startled she stumbled forward by accident. But Miranda had just followed, and placed her hand back, steadying her. Andy almost cried at the feeling of how _right_ it felt.

Now she was letting herself into Miranda's suite, figuring the older woman would already be on her way to the dinner. She hummed softly to herself, not bothering to soften the click of her 5-inch heels. Yet the sight that greeted her when she rounded the corner made her halt in her footsteps. Miranda, clad in nothing but a gray bathrobe, was just sitting on the sofa. Her makeup-free eyes stared into space. Yet when Miranda looked up at her, her face transformed into the warmest expression Andrea had ever seen from her.

"There you are," Miranda's blue eyes sparkled. "I trust you have the seating chart for the luncheon."

Gobsmacked, Andy sat down in the chair across from her, and reached down to pull it out of her bag. "Yes, I have it right here."

"By all means, move at a glacial pace. You know how that thrills me," Miranda said, but without any malice.

Andy handed the chart to her, and studied the other woman's content visage. Was the older woman drunk? She chastised herself for even thinking that — it was none of her business. The brunette pulled her notepad out, dutifully ready to write down the Editor's demand.

"We need to move, um, Snoop Dogg to my table."

"But your table's full," Andy blurted.

"Stephen won't be coming," Miranda said, her glasses dangling from her fingertips. An amused expression crossed her face, and Andy's brow creased in confusion.

"Oh, so you don't need me to fetch Stephen from the airport?" the brunette leant back down to rummage in her bag.

A pair of legs partly covered by a grey robe stepped into her line of view, and Andy gasped at the proximity of the older woman. She looked up, and Miranda rested her hand on the back of the brunette's chair. Blue eyes leered at the younger woman's cleavage, and Andy fought the sudden heat that threatened to spread across her pale décolletage and up her neck.

"No, Andrea," the older woman practically purred. "Well, if you can make me decide to rethink the divorce, then yes, fetch away. You are very fetching. So, go fetch."

Miranda ran her fingers through long brown hair, and gently cupped the sides of Andy's face with both hands. She then leaned in, and very slowly, giving Andrea a chance to pull away, placed the sweetest of kisses on full red lips. The young woman stiffened, unsure of what to do at first. Yet her brain finally caught up, and before the Editor could pull away, Andrea desperately threaded her fingers in soft white hair to pull the Editor closer. Her heart pounded, and she closed her eyes to better focus on the feeling of soft lips upon hers.

"You're getting a divorce?" Andrea murmured, pulling back a bit.

"Yes," Miranda kissed her again. "I've made the decision to no longer have him in my life. Now, might we continue?"

Wordlessly, Andy nodded and moved back in. _Mmm._ Andrea smiled in bliss against the pink lips upon her own. Their lips moved easily against each other's, and Andy's soul lifted with each caress. They were really kissing! The brunette tugged on the Editor's hips and gently pulled her to sit astride her lap. With a surprisingly amount of flexibility and ease, the Editor straddled the younger's woman's thighs and settled down contentedly. They continued their sweet kisses, with Miranda's fingers still intertwined in Andy's hair.

" _She finds me fetching_ ," Andrea thought dreamily as she ran her palms up the other woman's back.

Wait.

She froze.

Fetching. It wasn't a common adjective to call someone else. Where had she heard that before? Fetching. _Fetching_. _'T'_ had called her fetching. Suddenly, it all made sense. Why ' _T'_ had gone to great lengths to ensure her anonymity. Why Stephen had asked if he knew her in the townhouse - he wasn't able to immediately recognize her after her makeover. _ST._ _'ST'_ = Stephen Tomlinson. Miranda's now ex-husband. _Miranda._

Andy pulled back and stared up into dilated blue eyes. Both of them panted for a beat.

"Y-you're _'T'_!" she stuttered.

"Who's _'T'_?" Miranda frowned slightly and tried to lean back in to kiss Andy's red pout which was now slightly smudged from their intense kisses.

"No," Andy stopped her with a hand on her chest. "You're - you're the woman on the other end of the webcam!"

Miranda also froze.

They looked at each other.

"Andrea," Miranda said lowly, hesitantly reaching out with one hand.

"NO, I don't want to hear it!" the brunette pushed Miranda off her lap angrily and stood up. "You've known it was me all along! Have you had a good laugh ever since the day you hired me?"

Her mind raced. She had told things to _'T'_ that she hadn't told anyone. Namely the fact that she wasn't straight. Hot tears prickled at the corners of her eyes.

"I trusted you!" Andy cried. "Damn it! I told you, under confidence, that I liked you. God, I even gave you an entire list of all the reasons."

"No, Andrea," Miranda reached out. "You don't understand."

"Oh, I understand perfectly," Andrea choked out. "I can't believe this. I can't believe you."

She turned quickly, ignoring Miranda's pleas to stop, and ran out of the suite. She angrily wiped at the tears falling down her face as she escaped.


	10. Chapter 10

Andy burst into her hotel room, tears angrily streaming down her face. _How the fuck could Miranda do that to me?_ She felt betrayed and embarrassed. The brunette collapsed on top of her bed and rested her forehead in her hands. Her heart hurt. _I am such a fool. How could I not have figured it out sooner?_ Shaking her head at herself, Andy flopped ungracefully on her back before curling up on her side. She cried quietly, the occasional shuddering sniffle being the only noise in the room.

All of a sudden, a hesitant knock came from her door. The young woman jerked up, wiping the tears off her cheeks.

"Andrea?" the Editor's soft voice rang out.

Andy stilled, breathing through her mouth so the embarrassing snuffles wouldn't be audible.

"I can tell the light's on, so I'm assuming you're in there," there was a pause. "Andrea, let me in. Let me explain." Another pause. "Please."

But the brunette still felt too vulnerable, not quite ready yet to face the woman who had seemed fine with the ethical implications of what she had done. She remained in her seated position on the bed with her fingers still poised underneath her eyes, waiting to catch the new tears that threatened to fall.

"Oh, Andrea," the older woman's voice breathed. "I'm sorry."

There was a faint shuffling noise, and Andrea could tell the other woman had left. She laid back down, and continued to cry. _I can't believe I came out to her. I came out to her by saying I was attracted to her — God, I'm such an idiot. But she was so sweet to me in the café. Or was that an act too?_ Overwhelmed by her spiraling thoughts, her tired eyes soon slipped closed of their own volition, and she welcomed the darkness.

* * *

Andy's body jerked awake some time later, and she felt quite disoriented. Brown eyes squinted at the desk clock which read 22:37. She groaned and pushed herself up before stumbling to the bathroom. A gasp escaped her mouth when she saw her face. Her tears had washed away the mascara and eyeliner, leaving black streaks that stained her once-flawless visage. At least she was out of tears to cry now — all she was left with was a heavy heart. With a sigh, she turned the faucet on and cupped warm tap water in her hands. Slowly and gently, she started washing the ruined makeup away. When she was finished, she peeled her designer clothes off and pulled on her trusty Northwestern sweatshirt and grey sweatpants that she had hidden in the bottom of her suitcase.

"I suppose I had better delete my profile now," Andy spoke aloud. Her voice was scratchy from her earlier cry, and she flinched at the hollowness of it.

She shuffled over to the desk in the room and booted her laptop up. Crossing one long leg underneath the other one, she logged into the webcam site and gave a small smile when she saw the usual logo flash at her. It had been a while since she had last been on the website, and the familiarity of it transported her to when she first started out. How far she had come. Or had she? Andy didn't know. Shaking her head, she navigated her way to her profile account information, and hovered the mouse over the "Delete my Profile" option. This was it. She was going to delete Savannah the Webcam Girl from her life, and subsequently everything that had come after. Then she'd book the first flight out of Paris to New York, and hopefully be able to start fresh.

"Goodbye, Savannah," Andy whispered, her finger preparing to click the button.

Suddenly, a chime sung from her computer, and she gasped when she saw that ' _ST'_ was pinging her. _'ST'_. _'T'_. _Miranda_. Someone she never thought she would hear from again. A million thoughts raced through Andy's head, and all she could do was stare at the request. It came through again, and this time, Andrea didn't hesitate. She clicked 'Accept', and with some amount of trepidation, waited for the connection to be made.

She was met with a pair of familiar crossed legs. But this time, they were bare, a grey bathrobe grazing the tops of the pale knees. Slowly, the camera panned up, and Miranda's face came into view. It was made up, which Andy assumed was because of the EIC dinner, but her makeup was soft. Piercing blue eyes held hers, and Miranda simply stared at her. Her eyes were gentle, and her face was surprisingly unguarded. Gone was the Editor, gone was _'T'_ , gone were the personas the woman had donned to maintain control.

All that was left was Miranda.

And...Andrea. Gone was Savannah, as well.

Wide brown eyes watched as the beautiful woman on her screen dipped her head.

"I apologize for betraying your trust, Andrea," Miranda's voice had never been so small. "Please allow me to make it up to you, my darling."

Transfixed, Andrea watched as long fingers uncharacteristically shook as they caressed the top of the grey robe. Parting it, the brunette's jaw dropped slightly when she saw the smooth skin that was gradually revealed to her. The older woman shrugged the top of her robe completely off, and was left in a lacy black brassiere that dipped low in the front. Fidgeting slightly, Miranda then turned her attention to her bra and prepared to unclasp the front.

Heart pounding, Andy quickly slammed her laptop shut. She couldn't let Miranda reveal herself on a hotel network where anyone could hack into their connection! Not wasting any time, the brunette grabbed Miranda's room key and rushed out the door. Not caring she was in her rattiest outfit, Andy ran down the ornate hallway of the hotel and frantically jabbed at the elevator button. Tapping her foot impatiently, she practically leapt in as soon as the doors slid open and repeatedly pushed the floor Miranda was on. The elevator started moving up, and the young woman slumped against the back glass wall. Her heart was pounding, and she could feel a grin spreading. They had a lot left to talk about, but Miranda had made herself vulnerable. She was serious about this – about them!

As soon as the doors dinged open, Andrea sprinted down the hall and knocked rapidly on the door to Miranda's suite. Unsurprisingly, there was no response, and the brunette congratulated herself on her forethought.

"I'm coming in, Miranda!" she called before slipping the key into the lock and turning it.

She stumbled in, breathless, and her heart broke when she saw Miranda in the exact same position on the couch she was in earlier that evening. This time though, Miranda had mascara tracks running down her cheeks and her hands were clutching her robe tightly around her body. Listless blue eyes lifted to meet hers, before turning away and closing in defeat. The young woman rushed to her.

"Miranda," Andrea breathed, falling to her knees in front of the woman.

She cupped the older woman's cheek and gently turned her face back. With her other hand resting on a pale knee, the brunette surged up and captured the woman's lips in her own. Miranda's mouth opened in surprise, and Andrea used it to her advantage to stroke her tongue boldly against the other woman's. The Editor groaned, and raised her hands to cradle the brunette's face.

"I thought you weren't going to come back," Miranda whispered against Andy's lips.

"I wasn't going to," Andrea confessed, looking down. "But then you exposed yourself. I saw _you_."

"I thought you were disgusted," Miranda half-chuckled, pressing her forehead against Andy's.

"Never," Andrea closed her eyes and kissed the other woman again.

Continuing their embrace, Andy stood and gently pulled Miranda up with her. Wrapping her arms around the back of Miranda's thighs, she delighted in the older woman's squeal of surprise as she lifted her up. Miranda wrapped her legs around Andrea's waist, and threw her arms around the young woman's neck.

"You're full of surprises," Miranda nipped at Andy's ear.

Andrea giggled and started carrying the precious woman in her arms across the room. Andy gently lowered her down, and Miranda let out a gasp at the unexpected feeling of cool marble meeting the backs of her bare thighs instead of the soft bed she was expecting. The young woman had placed her on the edge of the bathroom counter, and Miranda pulled back to raise her trademark eyebrow at her assistant.

Gently, Andy used the pads of her thumbs to wipe away the makeup traces by way of explanation. The Editor looked away, embarrassed, but Andrea kissed her forehead and then her nose.

"Don't hide from me," she said. "If it's any consolation, I was in the same predicament as you just a few hours ago."

Crystal eyes turned sad, and Miranda wrapped her legs around the brunette's slim waist, her arms holding the standing woman close. She peered up into soulful chocolate eyes. "I am sorry, my darling."

"I know," Andy dipped her head and nuzzled the smooth skin on the Editor's neck, relishing the feeling of being in this woman's arms. After allowing herself a moment of comfort and safety, she pulled back and said, "We do need to talk though, Miranda."

"Yes," Miranda reached up and pecked the brunette on her nose, melting Andrea's heart. "You deserve an explanation, and I have every intention of proving to you that I am serious about this. About us."

The brunette's smile was radiant, and she turned to grab a cotton pad. Wetting it with the expensive makeup remover Miranda had sitting by her sink, Andy gently started wiping away the mask and tear stains.

"I didn't shut my computer off because I was repulsed by what I saw just now," Andy started their conversation with an explanation as she worked, needing the other woman to understand, "I disconnected because I didn't want anybody to have any kind of evidence. Your reputation is too important to ruin over me, especially since I work for you."

"It wouldn't have mattered," Miranda leaned into Andy's tender ministrations. "I wanted to show you that I trust you implicitly. And that included exposing myself on the very site that brought us together. I thought it would be only fair that you had the opportunity to view me through the same way without any false pretense or secrecy."

"I know," Andy rested her forehead against Miranda's. "And I do forgive you, Miranda." She bit her lip. "But I have questions I need you to answer before we discuss any real possibility of...well, us," she lowered her eyes before bravely raising them back up to look at the other woman's clear eyes. "I don't understand why you continued to talk to me after our initial meeting, especially after you hired me, knowing I was the webcam girl. Nor do I understand why you cut me, well Savannah, out of your life after I came out to you."

"Andrea," Miranda reached up to cup the young woman's face. "I—"

Unfortunately, Andy's stomach chose that moment to gurgle quite loudly, and she ducked her head in an attempt to hide the flaming heat in her cheeks.

"I haven't eaten since lunch today," she muttered in explanation.

"Andrea!" Miranda frowned slightly, scandalized.

"I was a bit...upset earlier," Andy shrugged half-heartedly.

"Oh," Miranda placed her palm in the middle of Andrea's chest. "Let me rectify that."

Slipping down from the counter, she padded barefoot into the other room to dial the phone. "I'd like to place an order for room service...Yes, I know it's almost midnight...Yes, it's Miranda Priestly...I want —" at this, she paused and looked expectantly over at Andy, who was still lingering in the bathroom door.

The brunette felt her heart warm at the sweet gesture and she walked back into the main lounge area. "Cheeseburger with fries?"

Miranda shook her head fondly and placed the order, adding a salad for herself. While she was waiting, Andy sat on the couch and tucked her feet up underneath her. After the Editor hung up, she joined Andrea on the couch and sat so their knees touched. Interlacing their fingers, both women quietly admired how well their hands fit together.

"Andrea, let's eat first, and then we'll continue our conversation," Miranda squeezed her hand in reassurance. "I promise."


	11. Chapter 11

When the dishes were finally empty and scattered the table in front of the couch, the two women fell into a contemplative silence. They had spent their shared dinner making small talk and exchanging shy glances at each other.

"Thank you, Miranda, for the food," Andy patted her full stomach and leant back.

"Yes," Miranda looked at her tenderly. "Hopefully we are now both more prepared to engage in this conversation with an open mind, and an..." she smiled at Andy, "open heart."

"I am," the brunette's breath caught at the words she had spoken to _'T'_ all those months ago, and reached for the older woman's hand.

Miranda looked down, seemingly taking a moment to marvel at the perfect way their hands fit together. Then she looked up and took a deep breath. "Andrea, I want to be as honest and open with you as I can." Blue eyes met brown ones, and Andy could feel the unconscious twitch in Miranda's fingers as she spoke. "I care about you, Andrea. Deeply."

Andrea opened her mouth to speak, but Miranda gently shook her head. "I will have to get this all out, so don't interrupt until I'm finished." She squeezed the brunette's hand. "Please."

Stunned, the younger woman nodded.

"From the moment you stood up to me on that infernal webcam site, I've been intrigued by you. With your impassioned feminist speech, and your bright optimism. You impressed me, Andrea. And you haven't stopped." Miranda smiled slightly. "Seeing you in my office…it took me by quite the surprise, but I knew I couldn't let you go. With such a bright mind and again, that fearlessness in standing up for yourself…" she trailed off. "I wanted to know more about you as a person — not a webcam girl. Plus," she shyly looked down at their hands that were still intertwined, "I was hoping that with a steady job, you'd be able to end the webcam business. Well, at least, stop talking to anyone on there but me."

Andy laughed and raised Miranda's hand, kissing her wrist tenderly. "With your help, I was able to."

"I was pleased when you decided to continue talking to me, well to the whiteboard." Miranda closed her eyes. "This brings us to the part where I must apologize for taking advantage of you, Andrea, after I hired you. I had every intention of breaking it off when you first told me the news of your new job, but I began to realize that our chats, even before you were hired at Runway, were a constant reminder of how… _lonely_ I was. Coming back home after a long day, to a warm and compassionate woman who _listened_ to me, even if it was only over a webcam…" The older woman snorted at herself. "Let's just say I was loathe to ever give it up. So when you happily announced to me over the camera that you had gotten a job, I didn't take it well. I didn't want to lose you — I still don't." Blue eyes pleaded with the young woman. "I'm so sorry, Andrea. It's not an excuse for my lapse in judgement. I know it was highly unethical, especially now that you were under my employ. That's why I treated you so abhorrently - well, no worse than any of my other staff. Yet you constantly rose to the occasion and proved me wrong," Miranda shot her a small, proud smile before her face fell again and she worried her bottom lip. "You made an effort to understand _me_ , Andrea. No matter what persona I was. As _'T'_ — is that what you called her? —"

Andy nodded, her eyes starting to mist over.

"— As _'T'_ , as Miranda Priestly, and, as simply Miranda," the older woman sighed deeply. "And I was intoxicated."

"Oh Miranda," Andrea leaned closer and gently pressed her lips to the pale pink ones, unable to let Miranda keep talking without expressing her own feelings. The brunette's hand came to caress a smooth cheek, and Miranda shuddered. "You fascinate me, you know that?" Andrea murmured, pulling back to look into clear blue eyes. "No matter who you were, _are,_ each woman that I spoke to drew me in. I wanted to get to know _you_ , _Miranda_ , much like I wanted to know _'T'._ The similarities were there — incredible strength, yet a hint of sadness that was carried quietly. _'T',_ Miranda Priestly, Miranda…let's just say I care about all of you." A tear escaped Andrea's eye and she smiled beautifully. "I strive to understand _all_ of you, Miranda. I want to be there, to always listen."

Miranda surged forward and desperately threaded her fingers through Andrea's luscious brown hair, kissing her thoroughly. Despite not being one for crying, she couldn't help the traitorous tears that escaped.

"Andrea," she murmured, pulling back and resting their foreheads together. The brunette's hands were loosely cupping her neck, and Miranda had her own resting on strong forearms. The embrace was intimate, and she sighed, not believing that this incredible woman could forgive her that easily.

"I know you still feel guilty, Miranda, but I get it," Andrea said gently, pressing her lips to Miranda's forehead. "Your explanation cleared a lot of things up for me, and while I'm not 100% on board with the ethical implications behind this, I can certainly understand why. It helps immensely that you didn't give me special treatment, nor placed me in any compromising position where you lorded my…occupation over me."

"I would _never_ ," Miranda said fiercely, gripping onto Andrea's forearms tightly.

"I know," Andrea kissed her forehead again before pulling back and smiling at her.

Miranda let her rare smile shine through before turning serious again. "There is also the matter of me pushing you away after Savannah came out."

Feeling the brunette tense, the Editor began running her palms soothingly over the sweatshirt-clad arms.

"In that moment, I realized that I had betrayed your trust. You had poured your heart out, and said the most _beautiful_ things about me…but under false pretenses. I knew I couldn't let it go on without telling you the truth. That's why I…persuaded you to go to Paris with me. My plan was to tell you in person — I didn't want to return my feelings over a screen," Miranda said shyly. She blew out a breath, "So, I stopped communication. But god, you even so far as to _apologize_ for coming out to me in your message."

"I really wanted to see you…well _'T'_ again," Andy shrugged, rubbing her thumb gently on the side of Miranda's slender throat. "She had become a constant in my life — someone who had listened to my worries and given me sound advice. I didn't want that to change. I figured that I had scared you off — I mean, Savannah and _'T'_ were practically strangers. That's a lot to place on someone. Plus Miranda, I think I knew deep down that you two were the same person. I was just too scared to face the truth."

"The truth?" Miranda whispered.

"That the depth of my feelings were much deeper than I had originally intended, and I'd have to confront the fact that _'T',_ _you_ , were my married boss."

"Well, not anymore," Miranda scoffed and reached up to tangle their fingers together. "I asked for the divorce from Stephen immediately after you came out to me. It was a long time coming, but I couldn't risk another moral predicament and start something with you while still being committed to another. However, that didn't stop me from trying to get to know you better in our first couple of days here."

"I'm infinitely glad for that brunch, Miranda," Andy smiled. "Especially the donuts."

"Mmm, yes," the corners of Miranda's lips quirked up, "those were not too terrible." She heaved a sigh again before uttering quietly, "Yet another mistake I made."

"What?" Andy squeezed her fingers, encouraging her to continue.

"I was trying to apologize for my abhorrent 'fat' comment," Miranda didn't look at her, cursing her cowardliness. She had maintained steady eye contact with Andy through almost everything else, but the fact she intentionally hurt her in that way made her heart ache with shame. "I know words have power, but please believe me now when I say," she forced herself to look up into compassionate, _always so compassionate,_ brown eyes, "you, Andrea Sachs, are the most beautiful woman I have ever had the pleasure of setting my eyes on. And know that I will spend every day convincing you of that fact. And to do everything in my power to win your trust and prove that I am serious about us."

Andrea closed her eyes for a brief moment, savoring the Editor's words. A few tears slipped out and she re-opened them. "Thank you," she whispered and opened her arms, drawing the older woman in. "For being so open tonight, for your words…just _thank you_ , Miranda."

The older woman let out a shaky breath and curled herself into Andy's warm embrace. She knew that Andrea, with her tender heart, had already forgiven her, but she hoped her honesty and willingness to be vulnerable would show the young woman just how much she was sorry. And how deeply she was invested in this, in her and in them. Miranda owed her at least that.

Andy carefully maneuvered them so that they were laying down, the older woman resting on top while listening to the strong heartbeat under her ear. Laying silently for a while, the young woman drew nonsensical patterns on Miranda's robe-covered back. Both were absorbing the words and basking in their commitment to each other.

"You know, you have nothing to worry about with Stephen," Miranda finally broke the silence and rested her chin on the back of her hand, gazing up at the beautiful brunette.

"Oh?" Andy raised on hand to caress Miranda's cheek.

"Despite what I told you all those months ago, I realized that leaving the account under Stephen's credit card was not the wisest decision. I switched it to mine right after our first conversation, knowing that if a divorce was ever to occur, that money trail could not be there. At least, not beyond the times he actually contacted you. I told him that I had shut it down, and he never went looking." Miranda rolled her eyes. "Although, just in case, I changed the password to Cerulean Blue."

Andy gasped slightly before blushing in pleasure.

Miranda smirked before continuing, "Stephen had so many other webcam accounts, that I'm sure he won't remember who Savannah actually was, or what she looked like. He was usually drunk when he logged into those sites, and he's not that observant."

"What about when he saw me in your townhouse?" Andrea said, a bit fearfully. "He recognized me, at least somewhat."

"He won't place that it's you," Miranda said confidently. "He never saw the before and after of your makeover, so he won't ever be fully sure. We will also delete your profile, and I have connections that will wipe Savannah and your name and bank account number from the web. If he ever goes looking, he won't find anything. It'll be like Savannah never existed."

The last of the remaining tension ebbed from Andy's body, and she gently tugged the Editor up so they were face to face.

"Sounds like you've thought this all out," Andy gave her a kiss.

"Well, I protect what's…" Miranda cut herself off, looking down.

"Yes?" Andy nudged her back up.

"Mine," she whispered. "I know that's probably the last thing you want to be after all of my subterf-"

Andrea kissed her fiercely. "I have been yours for a long time, Miranda Priestly," she murmured against soft lips.

The kiss deepened, and one of them moaned.

"Bed?" Andy gasped.

"Wait, before we continue…" Miranda struggled to catch her breath, "you're fired."

Andy laughed, throwing her head back. The Editor gazed in awe at the beautiful creature below her, wondering how she got so lucky.

"That's the best news I've ever gotten," Andrea murmured, leaning back in and stealing another kiss.

Then she stood up, holding her hand out for Miranda to take. "We should get to bed, Miranda. It's almost 4 in the morning. We've spent all night talking!"

Miranda shrugged as they made their way to the bedroom. "I'll be fine. I've survived on less sleep than this before."

"I haven't," Andrea pouted.

"Well, good thing you're no longer my assistant," Miranda smiled.

"True," the brunette mumbled, exhaustion suddenly overtaking her. "I'm going to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth really quick. I'll be right back."

After both of them had finished their nighttime absolutions, they crawled into the king-sized bed. Immediately gravitating towards each other, Miranda ended up with her head resting on a soft shoulder and Andrea's strong arms wrapped around her, their legs intertwined. Pressing a kiss to the young woman's neck, Miranda thanked every deity there was that the young woman had forgiven her foolishness and had ended up in her arms.

"Good night darling," Miranda murmured.

"Sleep well," Andrea whispered, pressing her lips to the top of Miranda's head.

With her rare smile on her lips, the Editor dropped off, feeling more content than she ever had before.


	12. Chapter 12

_8 months later_

Miranda stepped into her doorway and breathed in the calming scent of her home. Something soft brushed against her bare leg, and instead of freaking out like she had in the first couple of weeks when it happened, she simply leant down and picked the spotted tabby up.

"Hello, Savannah," she smiled when the cat purred in response.

A large bark was all she got as a warning before another warm body collided with her legs.

"Yes, hello to you too, Patricia," she bent and scratched the large dog on the head.

"Miranda," a sweet voice breathed out reverently, and Miranda looked up with breathless anticipation.

There her young love stood, silhouetted in the kitchen door frame with an easy grin on her face. She moved quickly into Andrea's arms, still in awe of how she responded to the brunette's presence. Savannah meowed uncomfortably, and both women chuckled before Miranda stepped back to release the cat.

"How was Runway?" Andrea stepped back into her embrace and pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

"Same old incompetence," Miranda sighed, resting her head in the crook of Andrea's neck. "I'm excited for our vacation to begin. Are the girls packed?"

"Yes," Andy rubbed Miranda's back soothingly. "They're saying goodbye to Sarah before we leave for the month."

"Mmm," Miranda hummed in response, enjoying her love's attention. "And did you get the time off?"

"Well," Andy said sheepishly, "I took a few assignments — only a few!" she protested before Miranda could interject. "They're small beat stories. I already have all the interviews and notes; all that's left is to write. I know you are going to have things to do," Andy smiled. "I'm not criticizing or complaining since I know how impossible it would be for you to not have any, so I figured I'd better have something to do while you continue producing excellence. And once I'm done with my work, perhaps I'll get some personal writing done!"

Miranda just grumbled and pressed her face closer to her love's neck.

This vacation to Europe was partly a celebration of the finalization of her divorce from Stephen, a thank-you to her supportive and loving family throughout the entire process. It actually went rather quickly, once Miranda had dug up the receipts of his infidelity on webcam sites. Much like she predicted, Stephen never suspected that Andrea was Savannah, and beyond verifying the timelines for each visit, no one had any other reason to investigate further.

Savannah the webcam girl was finally gone, and Andrea felt like she was a whole new woman without her. Unlike the first time when she hesitated to delete her profile, this time Miranda was physically by her side and helped her let go of that stage of her life. Now, Andrea had her dream job as a reporter, a beautiful woman who loved her, and a wonderful family that she would do anything for. She and Savannah had moved in five months after they returned from Paris, both becoming fast and firm fixtures in the Priestly household. Savannah because of her unique species and laid-back attitude, and Andy once she had casually reminded the twins that aside from getting them the impossible Harry Potter book, she was an avid fan herself. They had gone to many Harry Potter trivia nights together, and had actually won a couple as a team.

It was a good life, and Miranda was intending to make it that way permanently. She thought to the Cartier ring tucked safely in her sock drawer, and smiled to herself.

"Pleased with something Miranda?" Andy nudged her, and Miranda looked up.

"Don't be ridiculous Andrea," she said without malice. "Come, let's finish packing, and then I think we need to…relax before our big trip tomorrow."

"Smooth talker," Andy fondly pressed a kiss to Miranda's smooth lips. "I love you."

"I love you too, darling," Miranda pecked Andy's nose and then looped their arms together and headed up the stairs.

Two green orbs followed them before flicking back to the large, panting dog watching her. Then, with a haughty swish of her tail, Savannah crept towards the staircase and began climbing the stairs, following her owners with a rumbling purr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, we've come to the end! I hope you enjoyed. Please do let me know your final thoughts/comments. Thanks for reading, and I'll see y'all in the next fic 😊❤️


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